I didn't originally ask the question but I would think the criteria and the weight given to them would be different for each person. If someone asks you is X a good thing then it would mean is X a good thing in your opinion, using your criteria for what a "good thing" is.
You're absolutely correct, but if you don't establish a common reference point of what constitutes "good" then it becomes pointless to answer the question.
Is globalization good or bad, yes or no? Is a pretty stupid question without any criteria.
But looking beyond the unspecified criteria. It's not a lot different than asking...Is weather good or bad, yes or no? What kind of weather are we talking about...typically, San Diego weather is good. Typically, north pole weather is not good. Hurricanes are not considered good weather. Rain is good...to a limit. If you have so much rain that there is widespread flooding, this is not good. Not enough rain has it's disadvantages.
Now some people, there's no need to mention Lazarus by name, seem to think that if they ask stupid questions they might appear to be clever. They seem to think that there is a binary answer for any question. This is not necessarily the case.
Are we better off in 2003 then we were in 1900, what are the criteria? It might be true that we have more personal time in 2003 than in 1900. So what? The average work week generally declined the first half of the last century. In the last half, it generally rose. If you're about 50 years of age, it's likely that you are working more hours than your father did and your children will work more hours than you do. Though you probably are working less than your great-grandfather did. What's more important? To data mine and pick 1900 and 2003 and completely ignore the trends throughout 100 years or to look at the entire trend over the last 100 years?
jttmab |
